Trying to find what works for your child can certainly be a challenge. You really have to find a good fit for your own child. On the internet you will find a long list of suggestions and ideas on how that may prove to be helpful in the process. One system that has worked for many is note writing. It may sound like an unusual method but it does work for some. Below you will find a few ideas on how to implement the note writing ideas into your homeschool curriculum. This method works great for kids on the kindergarten or first grade level.
Post It’s
Post it notes come in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. The best part is that kids love to peel them off and stick them on things. If you are going to use the post it notes try setting up a bulletin board so that after they write the words on the note they can stick it on the wall. Each day you can give your child a different word to write. On one post it note they can write the word. On the other you can help them write a sentence using that word. By the end of the week they will have learned five new words, and how to use them in a sentence. Of course as they write the sentences for the words they will pick up additional words. So when the week comes to an end they will have learned more than just five new words. If you don’t have a bulletin board, to hang the post it notes, you can use a large piece of cardboard. Hang the cardboard up on the wall so that your child can reach it. They can stick the post it’s on this board as they write them.
Index Cards
Index cards can also come in different colors which helps to keep kids interested in writing on the cards. If you are going to use index cards, use the ones without the lines on them. Don’t focus on writing on lines just yet. With the note writing method you want to keep it as fun as possible. You can write words on one side of the card, and on the other side you can write the sentences. Then use a thumbtack to hang them on the board. At the end of the week you can review all of the words they have learned.
Notebook notes
Some parents don’t like the idea of having little pieces of papers, and cards floating around the house. Some kids may get carried away, so they use notebooks to write little notes each day. Notebook sharing is a good way to keep your kids interested in this note writing method. For example mom gets one notebook, and your child get’s another notebook. You can write a note to your child each day. Use some of the words they are learning for the week. They can also write you a message in their notebook. This can be done each morning. After each writes their message you can swap the notebooks and read them. You can help your child read your message. This is a great way to model writing for your child.